In this episode, therapists Miranda Barker and Karna Boynton share an in-depth conversation about secondary traumatic stress (STS). Karna, an experienced clinician and licensed marriage family therapist, opens up about her personal experience with STS, describing how the compounded stress from her professional and personal life led her to encounter PTSD-like symptoms.
We're discussing the distinctions between burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and secondary traumatic stress, emphasizing the need for mental health professionals to prioritize self-care and seek support when needed.
Karna offers valuable advice on recognizing warning signs, setting boundaries, and finding coping mechanisms that work. This episode aims to shed light on the significant impact of STS on therapists and the importance of acknowledging and addressing this often-overlooked issue.
OUR HOST:
Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn.
The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.
Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Meet the Guest
00:24 Karna's Career Journey
02:06 Understanding Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)
03:24 Burnout vs. Compassion Fatigue
07:14 Vicarious Trauma Explained
11:49 Personal Experiences and Warning Signs
24:55 The Pressure Cooker: Personal and Professional Struggles
33:09 The Breaking Point: Recognizing the Signs
33:21 Physical Manifestations of Stress
34:12 Therapeutic Modalities and Their Impact
35:40 The Emotional Toll of Trauma Work
36:28 Navigating Client-Therapist Boundaries
39:40 Assessment and Realization
41:56 Experiencing Secondary Trauma
48:45 Steps Towards Recovery
51:49 Reevaluating and Rebuilding
53:26 Sharing the Journey
58:36 Final Reflections and Advice
